16 Branded Material Ideas for Your Online Consulting Biz

Having collateral and marketing materials that look and feel like your brand is important in any business… it helps engrain your brand in people's minds and builds trust not only with those who want to work with you but those who already are. The more often people see your brand image the more easily they recognize and remember it, which obviously is a good thing when they decide they’re ready to buy whatever it is you offer.

Creating a consistent brand image that extends to all the little places you have contact with your client is one of the easier ways to let people know you’re serious about your business and here to stay, and it's even more important when you’re offering a high-end product or service. Nothing says “I have my shit together” like a well thought out brand.

Branded materials can even boost your own confidence in yourself and your biz. An already very successful client recently told me that having her branded slide deck made her feel like a boss when she had to give a presentation. Having nice, put together materials for your business is like showing up to a client meeting in your favorite outfit, the one that makes you feel like the most powerful, gorgeous version of yourself, instead of something you threw together on laundry day. You instantly feel more confident, which in turn causes you to step it up a notch and play a little bigger.

Knowing you need branded materials is only half the battle though. I totally get that. Because the next step is figuring out exactly what you even need, and just the thought of that is enough to send even seasoned solopreneurs into a cycle of Netflix and Existential Paralysis.

Having nice, put together materials for your business is like showing up to a client meeting in your favorite outfit, the one that makes you feel like the most powerful, gorgeous version of yourself, instead of something you threw together on laundry day.

So how do you go about figuring out what types of materials will actually benefit your business? It helps to think about it in terms of client experience. Because that’s really the whole point… creating a smooth, memorable experience for your clients and those interested in working with you or following along on social media. When your brand feels put together, and every interaction someone has with you is easily recognizable by your logo, color scheme, and brand voice, they feel more comfortable working with you and you don’t have to work as hard to earn their business.

Here’s a quick exercise you can do to start digging into this more.

First, get a blank piece of paper, a cup of hot tea, and a pen. Start jotting down your client process from start to finish. Don’t overthink this. Try walking through your most recent client onboarding experience from start to finish and write or doodle the list of client touch points (anywhere you had contact with the client, from emails to welcome packets to deliverables). This doesn’t have to be all inclusive just yet, but it’s a great start. Bonus points if you include all the activities that led up to the client contacting you - ads you ran, blog posts they found you because of, your newsletter opt-in.

Now take a few minutes to think about and note anywhere your client is receiving mixed messages from your branding. When they sign up on your email list are they getting a customized confirmation and thank you page, or the generic one? When you send your proposal is it the default design your accounting software offers, or a fully branded document? Do you have your logo in your email signature? Try to view this experience from your client’s standpoint, forgetting what you already know about your brand.

Here are a few ideas to get you started, based on actual requests I get all the time from clients in the coaching and consulting fields. It’s nowhere near inclusive, but use it to kickstart your own brainstorming and come up with more ideas just for your brand.